Why Not?

Welcome to the first episode of 2025—how did that happen already?

As I sat down to record this, I thought back to coming home from the holidays.

My first instinct was to dive straight back into everything, but instead, I decided to take my time.

I focused on smaller, manageable steps to ease myself back into a routine, and honestly, it made all the difference.

This is a lot like the typical New Year’s resolutions we hear about.

People often try to do everything all at once—a full life reset—and it can quickly lead to overwhelm and burnout.

So instead of diving headfirst into a complete overhaul (there’s the word!), why not take a step back?

Start with the easy wins, the little things that build momentum and help you find your rhythm.

Another thing I touch on in this episode is how much of an impact social media can have on your mindset.

If your feed is full of posts that leave you feeling bad about yourself, don’t be afraid to mute or unfollow.

Why would you want to upset yourself more? Protect your energy and focus on what feels good for you.

At the heart of all this is the question: what do you really want? I encourage you to ask yourself “why” five times to dig into the real reason behind your goals.

Be honest with yourself. Sometimes, you already know what to do, but fear holds you back.

If you find yourself coming back to the same desire again and again, that’s your sign—you really want it. Go for it. Take the leap and see what happens.

Finally, as we start this new year, I’d love your help. If you have ideas for guests or if you’d like to join me for a chat, please reach out.

I’m keen to speak to as many people as possible who live by the “why not?” mantra. Let’s make 2025 a year of saying yes to the things we truly want.

Thanks for listening—here’s to a brilliant start to the year!

If you are interested in working with me you can find me :

⁠⁠FREE Supple Shoulders for the Saddle PDF⁠⁠

Where did the year go? I can’t believe this is my final episode of 2024! In this episode, I take some time to reflect on what I’ve learned this year – and hopefully, it might help some of you too.

At the start of the year, my whole world was turned upside down when my relationship ended.

I was already in a tough place mentally, and to be honest, I thought it might tip me over the edge.

But in the middle of it all, I was forced to change how I approached things – and now, looking back, I’m truly grateful for it.

In this episode, I share:

This year taught me so much about myself, and while it wasn’t easy, I’m coming out of it stronger and more hopeful for 2025. If you’re struggling right now, I hope this episode helps you feel a little less alone.

Thanks so much for listening and for being here with me throughout 2024 – I’m excited to see where next year takes us.

Here’s to more growth, more lessons, and more looking after ourselves in 2025.

Happy New Year! 🎉

If you are interested in working with me you can find me :

⁠FREE Supple Shoulders for the Saddle PDF⁠

Have you ever found yourself wondering, when does this get easier?

For many new and "new again" mothers, the journey into motherhood can feel overwhelming, and the support they need isn’t always obvious.

In this episode, I sit down with psychotherapist Marci Carroll, who specialises in guiding mothers through the transformative experience of becoming a parent.

Marci shares her personal story of initially pursuing a "safe" career as a teacher before following her first passion for psychology.

She opens up about her own struggles during early motherhood, from sleepless nights to Googling questions she never thought she’d have to ask.

Marci explains how having her therapist, who welcomed her baby into sessions, made a world of difference.

We dive into the often-overlooked challenges of motherhood, including:

Marci also touches on the shame many mothers feel when asking for help, and the impossible standards social media can set.

We discuss the gaps in our healthcare system and how financial barriers leave too many mothers unsupported.

We close with practical advice for mothers who might not have access to mental health services, reminding them of the importance of self-investment alongside caring for their baby.

Plus, Marci shares a simple but powerful piece of advice we could all benefit from.

If you want to find out more about Marci you can find her here:

Instagram: @motherhoodmatters_withmarci

If you are interested in working with me you can find me :

⁠FREE Supple Shoulders for the Saddle PDF⁠

Do you ever check in with your body?

In today’s episode, I’m joined by the amazing Ana Stefan, a Wellbeing Coach who helps busy, introverted women build habits that truly stick. Fun fact: I recently appeared on Ana’s podcast, Uplift, so it’s been really cool to swap sides this time! (You can check out that episode here.)

Ana’s journey into wellbeing coaching began with her own struggles with back pain caused by her work environment. This led her to explore how the body works and how we can support it better. She eventually trained as a yoga teacher and began offering free classes at her office. That’s when she realised her passion for teaching and made the leap to do it full-time—just before the pandemic hit.

In this episode, Ana shares what it was like to adapt quickly during that time and how working for herself requires discipline but feels less like “work” when it’s something you love.

We also touch on therapy, yoga styles, and how they can support different people in unique ways. Ana wraps up the episode with an inspiring piece of advice that’s worth sticking around for!

Follow Ana and her work here:

Instagram: @anastefancoaching

Website: https://www.anastefan.ie/

FREE Supple Shoulders for the Saddle PDF

What is Quality by Design?

In this episode, we chat with Emily Fletcher, a regulatory affairs consultant in biopharma and a sport horse breeder!

We kick things off with a deep dive into what exactly a regulatory affairs consultant does, before shifting gears to talk all things horse breeding.

Emily shares her journey of taking up horse riding after moving to Ireland, and how, even after having kids and thinking she’d slow down, she couldn’t resist getting back in the saddle.

With fields right outside her door, getting back into horses was just too tempting!

We also have a laugh about the things we used to do in riding lessons and how, thanks to health and safety, a lot of those activities would probably be a no-go today.

We then chat about the horses Emily’s bred—many of which are still young but already making waves in Europe, Australia, and the USA.

Emily explains what it really means to have a horse with “blood,” and how for her, it’s more about their movement and attitude than the percentage of thoroughbred in them.

Emily also shares her thoughts on modern training methods, when to start with young horses, and how to bring them on the right way.

We even get into a bit of pharma talk with the concept of “quality by design,” which Emily says can be applied to almost any goal in life—whether in the lab or with your horse.

We round things off with a discussion about AI in the equine industry and why, in Emily’s eyes, it’s not just horses that are slow to adapt to new tech.

She has some really great advice on embracing technology, even if it feels a bit intimidating at first.

Finally, Emily leaves us with a piece of simple yet perfect advice to take away.

Follow Emily on Instagram:

Personal Page: @Emily.fletcher.1

Horse Breeding Page: @virtuososporthorses

You've all heard me mention rider fitness right? Well I'm not the only person talking about it

Today I speak to Katie Parry-Evans, owner of Gym Pony all about just that

She speaks about her own background with horses and how fitness work has helped her not only improve how she rides but also prevent injury as she is hypermobile

The importance that training has when it comes to mental health and how creating a community within the gym is integral to this

Transferable skills between not only fitness work and riding but also owning a restaurant and running fitness classes

The differences between the different disciplines in riding in terms of how advanced they are but also how divided they are

But also how we can learn from each other as Katie herself has coaches from different background

When it comes to training we speak about unilateral work and how that can be so beneficial for equestrians in particular

We also talk about some of the clients that she worked with and the changes that she had seen them make in such short periods of time just by committing to some simple changes for themselves

We then speak about how to create a welcoming environment in the gym and if you are nervous about joining try out one that is smaller

Katie also has a great piece of advice at the end of the episode which is sweet and simple

If you would like to find Katie

Instagram: @gym.pony

@katieparryevans

If you are interested in working with me you can find me :

Have you ever wanted to make a bold move? Or maybe you want to change something in your life?

But you feel like something is holding you back... That something could be your own self-believe

Today I welcome back a previous guest to my podcast. You may remember Vicky Shilling from episode #51 Starting Your Wellness Business with Wellness Buisness Mentor @vicky.shilling

Well, a lot has changed since that episode. These changes include Vicky, writing and releasing a book, having two children and pivoting her own business.

A bit about Vicky:

Vicky Shilling is a Self-Belief Business Coach, helping solopreneurs stuck in procrastination make mindset shifts so their work can have impact. She loves honest chat about self-doubt, the true feelings and emotions of running your business and sharing tips and tools to help solo business owners befriend their inner protector while taking bold steps to do the work they love.

Today we speak about how important self beliefs is and how she started to notice through mentoring wellness business owners the same theme kept turning up in different ways

Deciding to pivot and really focus on self-belief coaching and the difficult decisions that came with it

How Motherhood and running your own business can impact each other

She also talks quite honestly about the difficulties but also the freedom having her own business brings to her and her family

We speak about the different self-doubt archetypes and how they affect how people react to things

We spoke a lot about the pressures some mums feel to show up a certain way and how whatever works for you is what is right

That sometimes we just need to stop and look at how far we have come

The Irish love for begrudgery and that we shouldn't worry about anyone's opinion if they aren't your ideal client

She finishes off with some great advice for those who are feeling like they are stuck in a state of self-doubt paralysis and how they can get out of it

 If you want to find Vicky:

Instagram: @vicky.shilling

www.vickyshilling.com

The self-doubt archetype quiz is Sas Petherick’s here: https://selfbelief.school/archetypes/

My Paralysis to Progress worksheet and audio guide are here: https://vickyshilling.podia.com/paralysis-progress-audio-guide-worksheet

Have you stayed in a line of work or felt forced to do something because you've spent time and effort doing it?

Many people fall for what is known as the "sunk cost fallacy" and spend too much time on something they don't enjoy because they feel like they have to after

Today I talk to Aoife Smith, a Psychotherapist who works with vets and vet nurses

Aoife spent years in college herself training to be a veterinary nurse but by the end of the degree she knew that it was something that she didn't want to do

She had done a Psychology module as part of her degree and after some times out she decided to go back to do a Hdip in this area

We speak about how some may think of this as a waste but she sees all the experiences, both good and bad as valuable contributors to how she works now

About emotional maturity and how it's not necessarily determined by age

Understanding that as a therapist you are also still human and how important it is to have your own therapists and clinical supervisors to make sure you operate in the most ethical way possible with your patients

We also speak about grief and how there is no real timeline for when it will improve but people put so much pressure on themselves to be "ok" with the grief

She highlights the many different things that can make you feel like your having a bad day and how none of this makes you a bad person

We do focus on female health and how understanding your cycle can help so many areas in your life

About her own journey with endometriosis and how difficult it is to get diagnosed here with it

We then move to the mental health crisis in veterinary medicine and how the disconnect between animal owners and vet staff can often cause tension

Most notably that vet nurses are highly trained medical staff not just people who take your animal in when you leave them in for care

Issues within vet practices are another factor causing many people to leave the industry

How important it is that veterinary staff take time to check in with themselves before it too late and they're burned out

Aoife also has a beautifully simple piece of advice that her grandad used to say at the end which I think everyone would love to hear

If you want to find out more about working with Aoife you can find her

Instagram: @athenasmindtherapy

This weeks episode is a little bit different. I hosted a masterclass on Equestrian fitness and I decided to take the audio from the masterclass and turn it into a podcast!

Masterclass Description:

In this masterclass, I’m sharing the audio from my free "Get Stronger in the Saddle with this Strength Training Method" session!

I dive deep into why strength and conditioning off the horse is a game-changer for riders.

Riding is a full-body workout that requires much more than just time in the saddle—core stability, leg strength, grip strength, and cardiovascular fitness are all essential.

If you've been thinking that just riding, yoga, or Pilates will cover all your needs, this masterclass will explain why off-horse training is key to unlocking your full potential as a rider.

I break down how you can develop the specific muscles that improve balance, control, and confidence in the saddle, as well as the importance of mobility work for preventing injury.

Whether you're an amateur rider looking to feel more secure or a more advanced rider aiming to enhance performance, this masterclass provides the tools and strategies to elevate your riding fitness.

In This Masterclass, I Cover:

4. Why Riding Alone Won’t Make You Riding Fit:

5. How to Get Started with Equestrian Strength Training:

I provide an overview of key muscle groups to focus on and how these exercises will help you feel more confident and in control during every ride.

I've even got a sneakly little offer only available to those who join the masterclass or listen to this episode!

One thing that seems to be a common issue with equestrians is their confidence

Today I speak to Kimberly Dunn of Idle Wild Horsemanship and Mindset coaching all about this topic

Having started horse riding "late" in life at 17 Kimberly always felt like she was "behind" when it came to riding or her skills

She speaks about how she never really felt like she fit into the equestrian world until she found western riding

She goes on to explain all the different disciplines that are in Western riding (it's not just barrel racing like I thought!) and the level of training that goes into Quarter Horses

This took her working all around the world and one thing she kept noticing was riders having mindset and confidence issues

When she returned to the UK and started working on her own mindset as she was trying to launch her own business she started to see all of the possibilities for applying this to equestrians

We talk about the similarities in the Western Community and the Equestrian Communities we would have over in Europe some good some not so good

Kimberly works with people across all disciplines in her business as one thing they all have in common is confidence issues

We then go on to talk about social media and how it can be both good and bad but you have to be mindful about how you use it

About how she works with clients and how she can slowly bring in the "woo"

We finish off talking about the joy it brings her when she sees her clients turn a corner and really start enjoying their horses again and you can really hear the excitement as she speaks about it

Kimberly also has some really good advice at the end of the podcast for those who are struggling with confidence

If you want to find out more about working with Kimberly you can find her:

Website: https://www.idyllwildhorsemanship.com/

Instagram: @thehorsemanshipandmindsetcoach

The Enlightened Equestrian Podcast